Brasileiro Steakhouse Miami

When I think of a Brazilian Steakhouse, I usually think of rodizio. Over at the Four Ambassador Suites Hotel at 801 Brickell Bay Drive, a new Brasilian-fusion place called Brasileiro Steakhouse Miami opened about 4 months ago in the same space where the very popular Porcao reigned supreme for many decades.

I loved walking into the old hang-out and remembering the beautiful views the location has of Biscayne Bay. The decor is elegant and sleek, yet warm in its design. Right at the entrance is the bar and lounge area, and further inside is the large dining room overlooking the water. With another location in Moscow, Brasileiro is one of the newcomers to the Brickell area. Taking the reins in the kitchen is extremely talented Executive Chef Guily Booth, who has a way of combining ingredients in an endless fusion of combinations. Why would you need that in a rodizio-style steakhouse? The answer is simple. It is what makes Brasileiro stand out. In addition to offering the traditional carnivorous feast of sizzling steaks and seafood served rodizio-style in its all-you-can eat splendor, the restaurant also offers a nice a-la-carte menu that takes things to a whole new palate-pleasing level.


That is what we decided to indulge in during our adventure; focusing on some of the items on the regular menu, and some from a prix-fixe one entitled "The Fusion Diner's Menu". Picture this: three courses and a glass of wine all for $29 per person. Sounds unbelievable, right? Well, it's there for the taking, at least for a limited time. While we looked over the menu, I ordered a nice Malbec, medium-bodied with lingering hints of plum and coffee. Great beginning!

Beef Carpaccio Foie Gras

Octopus Carpaccio

Guilly's Crab Cake

Our feast began with a Beef Carpaccio Foie Gras, with Black Olive Tapenade and Tomato Crostini. Wow! That was one of those experiences in life you want to relive over and over. Booth really hit it out of the ball park with this one, marrying a gamma of bold textures and flavors that pretty much made our taste buds sing.  Next, we tried the Octopus Carpaccio, a visual stimulation of colors that we had to admire a few minutes before we dug in. Chef Booth prepares the masterpiece with a layer of octopus topped with chorizo dust, fried capers, diced tomatoes, lemon aioli and mandarin segments. Each bite is a surprise; might be salty and crunchy, or chewy and sweet. Who knows? Who cares? Just give me more! Next up, we sampled one of Booth's signature creations: Guily's Crab Cake. Only in traditional Booth style, it was not your ordinary crab cake. This one melted in your mouth with pure, unadulterated crabmeat. It was served with arugula, tomato, and a highly delicious secret sauce. Our final appetizer, (and yes, we had four appetizers), was the Grilled Octopus. A generous portion of tender octopus with a clean, fresh taste came served on a bed of vegetable cous cous.

Grilled Octopus

Pan Seared Grouper

Do you see the pattern of fusion here? I love how Brasileiro provides a twist on typical Brazilian dishes by infusing ingredients and touches of other cultures. It truly made the anticipation of each new course full of excitement. On to the entrees... We had the Blackened Salmon and the Pan Seared Grouper. The Salmon had a mild, smoky flavor and a flaky texture. It sat over a medley of Chorizo and Shrimp, home fries, and a creamy pool of key lime beurre blanc. The Grouper was one of those dishes I will not forget. Starting with the crisp, golden brown crust to the delicate, firm texture of the fish, it was seared to perfection. But that in itself was not what made this dish so memorable. For me, it was the layers of complementing touches Booth added to the experience. For example,  the roasted pepper salad just underneath the fish, the bold goat cheese and sweet malanga mash that cradled it; and perhaps my favorite, the incredibly flavorful shrimp bisque sauce that sealed the deal. It was an arousal and awakening of each region of my taste buds and I was mesmerized.

Almond Tiramisu

Although I didn't think we could fit anything else in, I couldn't turn down dessert. We sampled the Almond Tiramisu and the White Chocolate Bread Pudding. The tiramisu was light and silky while the bread pudding was warm, rich and moist. It was an amazing ending to an amazing dinner. 

White Chocolate Bread Pudding

If you haven't had the opportunity to check out Brasileiro Miami yet, I highly recommend you go as soon as you can and taste the cultural experience for yourself. Like, what about this weekend? For more information, you can call them at 786-502-3829 or visit them online at http://brasileiromiami.com/.

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Easter Seals Festival of Chefs in Miami

On Wednesday, November 6th, the Comber Hall in Coral Gables was the setting for the 25th Annual Easter Seals Festival of Chefs. Foodie great Ingrid Hoffman, host of Simply Delicioso from the Cooking Channel and Delicioso at Univision, held a meet and greet during VIP hour from 6:30 to 7:30 and guests were welcomed with a sparkling glass of champagne.  General admission began at 7:30 and featured culinary delights from top South Florida chefs such as Event Chair John Richards of Miami Culinary Institute, Elgin Woodman of A Joy Wallace, Norman Van Aken from Tuyo, Jorge Montes from Roho Kitchen, Alberto Cabrera of Bread & Butter, Patricio Sandoval from Mercadito Miami, Brian Molloy of Nikki Beach, Assia Dahrouch of Lemoni Cafe, Kareem Anguin of the Oceanaire Seafood Room, Luis Lopez of City Hall and Giorgio Rapicavoli of Eating House.

The wine flowed all evening and sweet, palate pleasing desserts were provided by Donut Divas, Tuyo, and Nothing Bundt Cake, among others. Silent auction items included special dinners and tickets to sporting events, while the live auction featured a special eight-guest dinner at the winner's home prepared by Chef John Richards. Raffle prizes such as exotic trips to places like Barbados and Antigua, were an exciting highlight for a few lucky winners.

There was live entertainment, a DJ and the night was a total success. Proceeds from the event benefit Easter Seals of South Florida's Culinary Arts High School, a vocational training program for students ages 16 through 22 who have autism and other disabilities. For more information on Easter Seals South Florida, you can visit their website at www.southflorida.easterseals.com.

Event Gallery

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Atrio at the Conrad Miami Hotel Is Rocking French Spice

Bon Jour! I know you're probably missing Miami Spice but the good news is, lots of restaurants have come up with their own version and extended the dates we can eat their best dishes for less. Atrio at the Conrad Miami, located at 1395 Brickell Avenue, is running its French Spice promotion, featuring a three-course prix-fixe menu that has Oooh La La written all over it.



Beef and Truffle Consomme

 

 

 

Red Wine Poached Egg

Smoked Duck Breast Salad

Offering French cuisine and regional specialties, dishes include three choices for each course. For appetizers, you can indulge in Beef and Truffle Consomme, Red Wine Poached Egg and Smoked Duck Breast Salad. The Beef and Truffle Consomme, a hit at the table, is a clear, savory broth, with diced vegetables and black winter truffle. It is light but full of flavor. The Red Wine Poached Egg is exquisitely prepared with pancetta, brioche crouton, frisee and mushrooms. The whole entourage comes together perfectly, offering a taste even the food critic from Ratatouille would've loved. Finally, the Smoked Duck Breast Salad, my personal favorite, was a spectacular presentation of delicious duck, combined with green beans prunes, endive and foie gras bites. I could literally eat it over and over again.

Beef Bourguignon

 

Trout Almondine

Onion Tart

For an entrée, you can choose from three completely different options. The Beef Bourguignon, a well known traditional French stew, is prepared with pancetta, mushrooms and pearl onions and served with Alsace pasta. I loved how the beef absorbed the intense flavor of the red wine it was braised in, while the pasta brought a subtle egg taste to the dish. The Trout Almondine, the fish lover's choice, consists of a bold-tasting trout cooked in lemon butter and served with haricot vert and almonds. The third option is the Onion Tart, a flaky delight on a pool of crème fraiche, topped with black olives, arugula and thyme.

Chocolate Marquis

Brie Cheesecake

Floating Island

Dessert is no less French, or delicieux. The problem is deciding which one to choose just from looking at the menu. The options include: Chocolate Marquise, Floating Island and Brie Cheesecake. I got a taste of all of them and you can't go wrong with any. The Chocolate Marquise is a rich, velvety mousse-like chocolate cake, crowned with chunks of caramelized orange segments and crème anglaise. The Floating Island melts in your mouth in a sweet encounter of English Custard, Caramel and Almonds while the Brie Cheesecake, my addiction of the evening, is a semi-sweet, creamy pleasure served with spiced red wine pear.

French Spice is a must-do but you better hurry. The $39 Three Course menu will only be available until November 15th. For more information, visit their website at Conrad Miami.

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Brunch at DBA Cafe

Brunch with the girls is always fun and even more so when they're diehard foodies like me. I finally got out to DBA Cafe, located at the Union Planter's Plaza at 2364 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale on a sunny Sunday morning. I met up with Aileen, who recently launched her website, Newsy Parents, an adorable blog dedicated to "passionate parents with a nose for fashion, food and fun", and Kimberly, the incredible voice behind The Hungry Goddess, a site that makes you drool, and stirs up an inspiration to cook all at once.

DBA Cafe has both outdoor and indoor seating. There is currently some construction going on near the restaurant as Union Planter's Plaza is updating the shopping center with some eye-catching architectural designs. Since the morning was a typical Miami one, we sat outside to enjoy the breeze. The first thing I noticed when we got our Sunday Brunch menus was that they offer 2 for 1 Mimosas and Sangrias by the glass or carafe. Yay for Sangria Sundays! The a-la-carte menu options were also quite varied, offering everything from the regular brunch items we all know and love, to burgers, salads and sandwiches.

Burrata Salad

It took us a while to decide what to order since so many of the items sounded good. As we pondered on what our main dishes would be, we ordered a Burrata Salad to share. It was prepared with arugula, and a variety of tomatoes, and drizzled with a balsamic reduction. The burrata was creamy and delicious and we paused momentarily from our foodie conversation to ooh and aah after each bite. Finally, we figured we'd each order something different and steal a bite from each other's plate. I can never turn down an Eggs Benedict if I see it on the menu; especially if it is served with smoked salmon. So, that was my choice. Rich and tasty, the hollandaise sauce bathed the perfectly poached eggs in divine goodness while the smoked salmon gave the dish a lighter finish. The dish was served with a generous portion of crunchy, seasoned home fries that were addicting, to say the least.

Eggs Benedict

Aileen ordered the Chimichurri Steak and Eggs, a tender and well-seasoned skirt steak topped with a sunny side up fried egg over a bed of rice and black beans. It was a cultural explosion of tropical proportions highlighting traditional Miami flavors. This dish was another winner I'd definitely recommend.

Chimichurri Steak & Eggs

Kimberly went for the Chorizo and Gruyere Cheese Omelette. I took one bite and I was in omelette heaven. The creamy gruyere cheese added another savory element to the dish without overpowering the smokiness of the chorizo. It was truly a creative combination that upped the ante for an otherwise simple dish. The omelette also came served with the same freakishly good home fries I had with my Eggs Benedict.

Chorizo and Gruyere Cheese Omelette

You would think we were done after sipping a couple of mimosas and indulging in our dishes but we all agreed that if we didn't have a sweet finale, we'd walk away feeling as if we were missing something. You know sort of like that feeling you get when you walk out of the house and you realize you combed your hair but didn't brush your teeth and you just have to go back or your day won't be the same. We decided on the cheesecake stuffed Parker House French Toast. I have to say this was my pick of the morning. Just imagine a nicely textured french toast, not too dry and crispy on the edges, filled with creamy, warm cheesecake. It was the perfect dessert to our savory feast.

Cheesecake Stuffed Parker  House French Toast

Brunch is served at DBA Cafe from 10am - 3 pm. They also have a series of special deals they offer throughout the week that you can find out more about by visiting their website. And here's some fun news! The Hungry Goddess and I will be hosting a wine dinner on November 20th at DBA Cafe, during their Blind Wine Tasting! Be sure to check out the invitation below for all the details and for more information, follow my Facebook and Twitter. Hope to see you there!

In the meantime, to make reservations, you can call DBA Cafe at 954-565-3392.

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